Best Time to Drive from Livermore to Watsonville

Right now (6:51 pm PDT): about 83 minutes via US-101 South and I-680 South, usually 89 at this time.

Only 68% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Livermore to Watsonville by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	90	95	97	101	96	90	90	91	98	106	109	104	90	83	82	82
Tue	81	88	96	104	101	102	97	88	89	96	109	115	107	96	84	82	82
Wed	81	89	99	103	102	101	91	89	89	97	108	114	109	97	85	83	82
Thu	81	86	99	101	102	102	91	88	90	100	112	117	110	98	86	83	81
Fri	81	86	90	88	88	88	89	92	97	108	119	118	107	100	88	83	81
Sat	82	82	82	83	85	88	91	92	94	94	95	93	90	93	89	83	81
Sun	82	82	82	82	83	84	86	87	87	87	86	86	86	90	85	84	82

About this drive

On weekdays the 82-mile drive from Livermore to Watsonville (via US-101 South and I-680 South) usually takes as little as 81 minutes and up to 119 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 92 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (95 minutes).

About 59 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 22 miles surface streets (29 to 39 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Livermore to central Watsonville along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Livermore to Watsonville?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 81 minutes then, versus up to 119 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Livermore to Watsonville?

The 82-mile drive usually takes 81 to 119 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 92 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Livermore to Watsonville?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 119 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (36 miles) · I-680 South in Bay Area (23 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Watsonville to Livermore (return trip) · Livermore to San Jose · Livermore to San Francisco · Livermore to Sacramento · Livermore to Oakland · Livermore to Stockton · Livermore to Modesto · Livermore to Elk Grove · Livermore to Hayward · Livermore to Sunnyvale · Livermore to Salinas · Livermore to Concord

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	90	95	97	101	96	90	90	91	98	106	109	104	90	83	82	82
Tue	81	88	96	104	101	102	97	88	89	96	109	115	107	96	84	82	82
Wed	81	89	99	103	102	101	91	89	89	97	108	114	109	97	85	83	82
Thu	81	86	99	101	102	102	91	88	90	100	112	117	110	98	86	83	81
Fri	81	86	90	88	88	88	89	92	97	108	119	118	107	100	88	83	81
Sat	82	82	82	83	85	88	91	92	94	94	95	93	90	93	89	83	81
Sun	82	82	82	82	83	84	86	87	87	87	86	86	86	90	85	84	82

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	90	95	97	101	96	90	90	91	98	106	109	104	90	83	82	82
Tue	81	88	96	104	101	102	97	88	89	96	109	115	107	96	84	82	82
Wed	81	89	99	103	102	101	91	89	89	97	108	114	109	97	85	83	82
Thu	81	86	99	101	102	102	91	88	90	100	112	117	110	98	86	83	81
Fri	81	86	90	88	88	88	89	92	97	108	119	118	107	100	88	83	81
Sat	82	82	82	83	85	88	91	92	94	94	95	93	90	93	89	83	81
Sun	82	82	82	82	83	84	86	87	87	87	86	86	86	90	85	84	82

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	90	95	97	101	96	90	90	91	98	106	109	104	90	83	82	82
Tue	81	88	96	104	101	102	97	88	89	96	109	115	107	96	84	82	82
Wed	81	89	99	103	102	101	91	89	89	97	108	114	109	97	85	83	82
Thu	81	86	99	101	102	102	91	88	90	100	112	117	110	98	86	83	81
Fri	81	86	90	88	88	88	89	92	97	108	119	118	107	100	88	83	81
Sat	82	82	82	83	85	88	91	92	94	94	95	93	90	93	89	83	81
Sun	82	82	82	82	83	84	86	87	87	87	86	86	86	90	85	84	82